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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

I had been looking at this boring dresser in our bedroom for a year now and I had finally had enough! It's been on my to-do list forever, but it just never got tackled. Before I began this DIY adventure I really researched and thought out what I wanted to do. I was so close to just painting some simple gray stripes on it, and then decided to go with something a bit more exciting...chevron stripes! I am so happy with the outcome! It was a little more work than just sticking to simple stripes... but much more exciting!

Before

I measured half way across each drawer and drew a line so I knew where each stripe was to meet.

I then used a ruler..( I know you are thinking painters tape would be easier- but I actually started with that method, became frustrated and decided to draw with a ruler and hand paint. Either way works

when I couldn't decide what color for the knobs...yellow was the winner! and goes well with our bedding colors and pattern...

Monday, June 13, 2011

One of my recent projects was DIYing my own coasters.
I gathered these items to start:
*white ceramic tiles( about 37cents a piece at Lowe's)
*Decorative papers,magazine cutouts, photo, collage
*Mod Podge, Krylon Crystal Clear and some Gorilla Glue
*a roll of cork to protect the base

I coated each tile with a layer of mod podge, laid down the decorative paper and coated once more with mod podge. I let that dry completely and then sprayed each with the Krylon- its an acrylic sealer. Once dry I cut squares of the cork to fit each tile and attached with Gorilla Glue. DONE.

Are my recent cupcake flavors. I felt like I was sort of behind on my cupcake a month challenge, so I did 2 in one day. I've never been a huge root beer fan, but made them upon my husband's suggestion for our friend Andrew!I'm not crazy about root beer but these cupcakes were pretty good! It was a chocolate cake with root beer icing filling, topped with vanilla buttercream! The secret ingredient: ROOT BEER CONCENTRATE. Its sort of hard to find, but I found it in the extract section of Wal-Mart! Its like coke syrup and you can use it to make homemade root beer, but its really the only way to have these things taste like root beer!

And for the orange. I used a vegan( no egg or dairy) recipe for these. Its a cake recipe I had used before but decided to make it into cupcakes and top with cream cheese icing. I love all the pure ingredients and its truly a refreshing summer cake! And because of some recent requests.. I think I'm going to add a recipe section to my blog. Its needed.

This project is one of my favorites that I do with my students. They even find it humorous just how much fun I have making these. There are so many possibilities from colors to size, to what you actually make- it doesn't just have to be a bowl!

HOW TO:
1. rip out whole magazine pages.
2. fold individual pages into about 1/2" strips and glue remaining flap with glue stick
3. roll your first strip into a little spiral, and add a small piece of clear tape where it ends. it might be hard at first but just try to keep it tight.
4.repeat steps 2&3 adding onto your spiral and tape each next strip where the last strip finished.
5. With the addition of each strip you are building up into a large disk of coils. How big you go really depends on how large of a bowl you want.Remember to keep everything tight. If its too loose your finished project won't be as sturdy or look as clean.
6. After completing your dish slowly pull up starting at the base to create your desired bowl form. You don't expand the coils at the very bottom(leave them for your base).
7. Once expanded now glue with mod podge and its complete. You can't put liquids in or eat out of it but its good for just about anything else!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

In an earlier post I showed you the old table I found for $25 at a thrift store!I knew this table had potential and that I was going to transfer it into a coffee table for my sister-in-law's new apartment!

Before

I just used primer I had and some leftover acrylic paint!

after sanding and priming...

I mixed the acrylic with the primer to get my desired blue- and once the table was finished I sprayed it with a sealer.

After

Unfortunately I fell in LOVE with this table during the process. I love its decorative structure and oval shape! I am now on the search for my own copycat....

Friday, June 3, 2011

This morning I was about to make banana bread with my pile of way over-ripe bananas and then I thought why not make these into cupcakes? I actually used the same recipe that I use for the bread- its a dense slightly heavier of a cupcake, but I think it works. I tried 2 different frostings. Peanut butter cream cheese and just plain cream cheese butter cream.
I really like these cupcakes.....

Here's some of my recent findings that I have big plans for! I couldn't resist this mirror even though it needed some TLC. The mushroom picture looked straight out of anthropologie and this table is going to be a coffee table for my sister- in-law! And for 25 bucks thought this thing had true potential! Stay tuned for the transformation posts!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I recently was asked to paint a Black Keys album cover for a teacher at my school. He wanted it in two separate panels and to have texture. I used the Impasto technique to get the thick texture and brushstrokes. Each painting is a 2'x2' wood panel. This painting was unlike anything I had really ever done before, so it was a great experience! I hope to start doing more commissioned pieces this summer!

I have LOVED my first year of teaching and these high school students have truly changed my life:) Unfortunately my position was eliminated for next year...SO next year I will be teaching art at an elementary school! I'm excited that I have a new job but am really going to miss these students. I love spending my day with them and they make my job unbelievably fun.